Drury is the only Democrat in a generation who did not vote in favor of Michael Madigan to be speaker of the House. He says that proves an independence the other candidates lack.

“I have battle scars from doing that," Drury said in a telephone interview. “And you know the others can say it, but their history just doesn’t back that up."

He says it’s no good to have one man with such a tight grip on the Democratic Party — and likewise with Gov. Bruce Rauner calling the shots for Republicans.

“So you have two people making the decisions for the entire state, and people no longer feel represented in their representative government,” Drury said.

Meanwhile on Monday, another Democratic candidate got a major union endorsement. The AFL-CIO says billionaire investor J.B. Pritzker is their choice to beat Rauner, who’s agenda has sought to weaken labor.